Anxiety Archive

People trapped in catastrophic thought patterns are convinced everything is awful and won’t improve, which creates a constant sense of helplessness, anxiety, and stress. One way to stop this doomsday thinking is learning how to mentally pivot. Mental pivoting is the action of consciously deciding to deflect thoughts when they arise, so they don’t fester and grow. By doing this, people can feel more in control of invasive thoughts when they arise.

Research has shown that feelings of general anxiety, nervousness, and fear tend to rise with age. This can lead to increased isolation and less exercise, and may progress to an anxiety disorder. Strategies to help manage and overcome increased feelings of fear include seeing a therapist, practicing mindfulness, consulting with a financial expert, and hiring a personal trainer.

The stresses of daily life can keep us in a state of constant tension. Learning to belly breathe can help ease your body's response to anxiety and stress.

At some point, most older adults experience the occasional "senior moment" where they misplace an everyday object, lose their train of thought during a conversation, or forget why they walked into a room. Memory lapses like this are part of normal aging, but the problem can be exacerbated by issues like depression, stress, poor sleep, and medication side effects. If these episodes become so frequent or substantial that they interfere with a person's daily life or safety, it's time to see a doctor.

Men can encounter episodes of depression and anxiety as they age. Such feelings often stem from life experiences like grief, financial anxiety, health issues, and the loss of independence. While confiding in friends and family can sometimes help, men may benefit more from therapy. A professional therapist can help identify the causes of their emotional problems and create a strategy to resolve them.

Meditation helps us calm the body and shift perspective, and certain types of it offer an array of health benefits. What's more, imaging research shows that meditation can change the structure and connectivity of brain areas to help us cope with fear and anxiety.

Music therapy uses personally tailored interventions such as singing, songwriting, playing an instrument, or moving to the beat to help people with a variety of health conditions manage disease symptoms and treatment side effects. Research suggests music therapy can curb stress, soothe pain, promote sleep, reduce anxiety, and improve memory and focus. People interested in accessing music therapy can ask their health care team or hospital for a referral, or look for a music therapist through the American Music Therapy Association.

Anxiety can produce physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach upset, and tightness in the chest. Sometimes this sets up a vicious cycle, in which anxiety triggers physical symptoms, and the symptoms magnify anxiety, which makes them even worse. Doing distracting tasks or relaxation exercises can help break this cycle. People should seek professional help if symptoms can't be controlled.